Classic Video Game Deadly Premonition Headed for Tabletop Version

The 2010 video game Deadly Premonition has gone down in history as one of the greatest cult titles of all time. Are you a Twin Peaks fan? Then you should be playing this (you can pick it up in the PS3 and Xbox 360 stores, assuming you still have the last-generation systems hooked up, and this is one of the many reasons that you should). It’s the story of FBI agent Francis York Morgan, who comes to the town of Greenvale to investigate a string of mysterious murders. The game is renowned for its world-building, atmosphere and terrifying monsters.

Now, there’s a completely new way to experience this masterpiece of gaming. Greenvale is about to come to life as a tabletop game thanks to a new Kickstarter campaign. It even has the blessing of original creator Hidetake “Swery” Suehiro.

The game is card-based for two to four players, each of whom assumes the identity of a special agent trying to find the elusive Raincoat Killer. To do so, you must gather evidence about several townspeople (all actual characters from the game), which will either clear or incriminate them.

In practice, the game seems to play out more like Ace Attorney, with players battling each other to prove whodunit. There is also a hidden identity element, which harkens back to the original game's plot twist about the identity of the Raincoat Killer being one of your supposed allies.

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But this is Kickstarter, so let’s talk perks!

There is a special edition of the game that comes with the full game, the CD soundtrack of the original game (well worth the buy), a letter from Swery, and even a Steam key to play the video game in the off chance you haven’t. You can get that at the $60 level, though the Steam keys are actually available at all pledge levels. Having saved up to play the Portal 2 tabletop game, I think $60 is a pretty reasonable price for a special edition, though you can get the standard edition for as low as $26.

So far that’s the extent of what’s available for backers, though there are some interesting stretch goals that involve Swery actually creating new characters for the game. Swery, sadly, left gaming in 2015 because of health concerns related to his reactive hypoglycemia. He formally departed the studio he founded, Access Games, last year, though he has apparently founded a new studio.

It’s to be hoped that the board game might inspire some new interest in the work of one of video gaming’s few true auteurs. Regardless, this is a rare chance to expand upon one of the most amazing titles ever released on any platform. As of the time of this writing, the game has already surpassed its $50,000 goal in less than 24 hours, proving there is still some interest in the king of gaming cult classics. Do yourself a favor and go throw money at it!

Jef Rouner is a contributing writer who covers politics, pop culture, social justice, video games, and online behavior. He is often a professional annoyance to the ignorant and hurtful.